Lobster Class

[Wookie]

The artificial substrate issue is interesting, not something we have to deal with.

In the Florida spiny lobster fishery, there is far more lobster fry than habitat to hold them, so many unscrupulous fishers will create habitat. A favorite is a sheet of galvanized tin set up on 4 blocks or rocks, anything for the lobsters to get under to protect them from their predators, mostly grouper. These are known as casitas, Spanish for little house. We could make many racist remarks regarding the name casita and the original nationality of most keys lobster fishers and poachers, but we can leave that for the Pub.

Placing a casita is highly illegal, as is any offshore dumping, but it’s highly effective.

 

[Johnoly]

Interesting, I am a rock lobster fishery manager in my State

Baby Florida lobster growth is unique because all most all are NOT born in Florida waters, but rather other Caribbean & South American waters, verified by DNA sampling. These tiny baby fry(aka recruits) then ride the many gulfstream currents up into the Florida waters to mature.

Now comes the wild part (theory)>>Scientist say that even if you were to removed every Florida spiny and didn't harvest any for the 4 year growth cycle to legal 3” size>>our lobster fishery would almost completely rebuild it's populations in those 4yrs!!!{ source }. This brings about thousands of arguments (SB viral posts) of why do we have catch limits then? I'm not a scientist/fish manager and don't have those answers nor the politics of it.

For tomorrow mini-season, I'll dive and use my best practices to FIND them. But we've had zero tropical storms to move sand & bugs around and zero Lake Okeechobee floodgate openings to lower salinity levels in the Inter Coastal Waterway(ICW) that would push those ICW hiding tan/greenish lobsters out into the SE Fla ocean waters. It is going to be a huge challenge to just find bugs & hit limits for mini-season. Stay safe, watch your air & NDL, don't get hurt, busted or your name in the SB accidents & incidents section !!.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Stay safe, watch your air & NDL, don't get hurt, busted or your name in the SB accidents & incidents section !!.

This is key!! The only reason I don't care for mini-season is because of all the fools who are once-a-year, aggressive divers who don't have a clue and hurt themselves. I have zero issues with lobster harvesting and those like John who do it responsibly and safely. It's the idiots, who are a significant minority, that are the problem.

Safe diving the next two days to all who participate!

 

[Johnoly]

... once-a-year,....... and hurt themselves.......... {parsed by Johnoly}

Below is the current Camera inlet pict WPB...stunningly flat...perfect for paddleboards, jon boats, rafts, kayaks, & shore dives. It will be record participation & divers with these glass flat conditions. I know @DandyDon will update the A&I section and we will be listening to the VHF marine radio.

 

[johndiver999]

In the Florida spiny lobster fishery, there is far more lobster fry than habitat to hold them, so many unscrupulous fishers will create habitat. A favorite is a sheet of galvanized tin set up on 4 blocks or rocks, anything for the lobsters to get under to protect them from their predators, mostly grouper. These are known as casitas, Spanish for little house. We could make many racist remarks regarding the name casita and the original nationality of most keys lobster fishers and poachers, but we can leave that for the Pub.

Placing a casita is highly illegal, as is any offshore dumping, but it’s highly effective.

A casita made from cinder blocks and sheet(s) of metal is constructed to provide habitat for lobster fry that are just transitioning from the planktonic to benthic stage? Is that what you mean to say?

 

[Still Kicking]

A casita made from cinder blocks and sheet(s) of metal is constructed to provide habitat for lobster fry that are just transitioning from the planktonic to benthic stage? Is that what you mean to say?

I think the main purpose of a casita is to encourage legal lobsters to aggregate at a known location that can be revisited by hunters. Additional habitat for fry is a side effect.

 

[tekkydiver]

So what are your tips and tricks?

It's all about habitat...

 

[johndiver999]

I think the main purpose of a casita is to encourage legal lobsters to aggregate at a known location that can be revisited by hunters. Additional habitat for fry is a side effect.

I was looking for verification/clarification if that was the assertion being made.

I am doubtful that those structures have any "settlement habitat value", but if somebody has some recent information about that, I would be interested in learning about it.

I'm glad that the tip/trick suggesting the deployment of these devices, was acknowledged to be an illegal activity in Florida and elsewhere.

 

[tekkydiver]

I’ve always found that placing a pile of cinderblocks in the backcountry to be effective…

Problem with that is the FWC gets tipped off to many of these locations and waits for the guilty party to show up and poach.... keep in mind FWC is also out there in unmarked vessels as well

 

[johndiver999]

Problem with that is the FWC gets tipped off to many of these locations and waits for the guilty party to show up and poach.... keep in mind FWC is also out there in unmarked vessels as well

And yes the FWC has in the past, carefully monitored those structures and waited for people to harvest from them and then take criminal action against them.

Some might wonder why, if the State knows a particular illegal structure exists (as well as its precise location) why the efforts were not directed toward removal of the structure, rather than using them as "bait" for a recreational diver who may, or may not know about the rules associated with those structures.